Jean Thomas, wearing the costume of a Lady-in-Waiting at the annual American Folk Song Festival (a long black dress with white ruffled collar), poses onstage with a copy of her 1938 publication, "The Singin' fiddler of Lost Hope Hollow," about...

Jean Thomas, wearing the 'Narrator' costume from the annual American Folk Song Festival (a long black dress with white ruffled collar), poses onstage with a copy of her 1938 publication, "The Singin' fiddler of Lost Hope Hollow," about fiddler...

Jean Thomas (seated, left, with typewriter on her lap) shows her 1938 book about Jilson Setters, "The singin' fiddler of Lost Hope Hollow," to a man and woman outside her brick "Wee House in the Wood" in Ashland, Kentucky. The original caption read...

Jean Thomas (seated, center, with a typewriter on her lap) shares her 1938 book about Jilson Setters, "The singin' fiddler of Lost Hope Hollow," with a man and woman seated on the ground outside her brick "Wee House in the Wood" in Ashland,...

Jean Thomas (seated, center, with a typewriter on her lap) shares her 1938 book about Jilson Setters, "The singin' fiddler of Lost Hope Hollow," with a man and woman seated in the yard of her "Wee House in the Wood" in Ashland, Kentucky. The...

Jean Thomas (seated, right, with a typewriter on her lap) shares her 1938 book about Jilson Setters, "The singin' fiddler of Lost Hope Hollow," with a man and woman seated in the yard of her brick "Wee House in the Wood" in Ashland, Kentucky. The...

Jean Thomas takes notes using a typewriter while Jilson Setters (a pseudonym for James William (J.W.) Day, 1860-1942) performs with fiddle. They sit outside, surrounded by trees and plants. Thomas transcribed the lyrics to ballads performed by Day,...

Jean Thomas takes notes using a typewriter while Jilson Setters (a pseudonym for James William (J.W.) Day, 1860-1942) performs with fiddle. They sit outside, surrounded by trees and plants. Thomas transcribed the lyrics to ballads performed by Day,...

Jean Thomas takes notes by hand while Jilson Setters (a pseudonym for James William (J.W.) Day, 1860-1942), wearing a suit jacket and tie, performs with fiddle. They sit outside in a cornfield. Thomas transcribed the lyrics to ballads performed by...